


New Contract

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Series: Black Moon [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, M/M, Slow Romance, Visual Kei, music industry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 10:00:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13972647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Renji and his bandmates sign a contract with Senbonzakura Music in order to further their careers and make themselves well-known as they prepare to create their third studio album. Meanwhile, Byakuya finds himself intrigued by Renji after a brief encounter at the bus stop after the concert.





	New Contract

**Author's Note:**

  * For [junko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/gifts), [Josey (cestus)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestus/gifts).



“Alright guys, you did awesome tonight!” Yoruichi praised as Ichigo, Renji, Hisagi, Chad, and Hitsugaya entered backstage. “That was quite the performance you gave! Up top!”

“Thanks,” Ichigo said, wiping the sweat off his forehead before giving her a high-five. He smiled. “I had a lot of fun.”

“How was it for you, Renji?” Hisagi asked, placing a hand on Renji’s bare shoulder.

“Not bad,” Renji said, smiling. “It was fun. And to be honest, the fanservice was my favourite part.”

Ichigo grinned at him. “Oh? So you liked me touching your chest?” he teased.

“Not gonna lie, that was pretty hot!” Renji laughed.

“You played well,” Chad praised him. “Great job.”

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. “The crowd was screaming quite a bit,” he observed. “Tell me, just what did you do?”

“Apart from the little fanservice stuff with Ichigo, I grinded on my guitar, flipped off the crowd suggestively, stuff like that,” Renji said. “And at the end, I poured my water bottle onto them.”

“See, you’re doing great already!” Hitsugaya praised.

Renji smiled and nodded before wiping the sweat away with a towel. After spraying a bit of cologne on himself, he slid his black tank top back onto his body. As he took a swig of water from a different bottle, that was when Yoruichi approached them.

“By the way, someone I know was very impressed with your show,” she told them. “He and his friends are coming backstage to talk to you.”

Ichigo looked at her in surprise. “Who is this person?” he asked.

Yoruichi grinned. “The CEO of a mainstream record label, his music producer sister-in-law, and a few other names you may know,” she said.

The door opened and in walked a man and five excited young women, all five of them well known in the music industry. Two of them were Matsumoto Rangiku and Inoue Orihime, the two pop idols who made up the J-Pop duo Beauty Queens. Then there was music journalist Ise Nanao, and Hinamori Momo, a voice actress and singer. And among them was…

“Rukia?!” Renji said, staring at her in shock.

Rukia smiled in pure joy. “Oh, Renji! It’s been so long!” She ran and leapt onto him in a tight hug, which seemed to break the ice.

Hisagi stared at Rangiku and Orihime in shock. “Hold on… are you _the_ Beauty Queens?” he asked.

Rangiku smiled flirtily. “We sure are!” she said.

Orihime blushed as Ichigo approached them. “Kurosaki-kun…” she mumbled. “You were amazing!”

Ichigo blushed a little. “Thanks,” he said. “I didn’t know you were here tonight!”

As Nanao and Chad spoke together and Hitsugaya and Momo both got excited at meeting one another, Renji and Rukia continued talking excitedly while Byakuya went to speak to Yoruichi.

“I didn’t know you were watching us, Rukia!” Renji was saying. “Did… Did you like the show?”

“Like it? I loved it, Renji!” she said. “You were amazing! I never knew you were so good at the guitar! And that fanservice…” She blushed. “I didn’t know you were so good at that either.”

Renji grinned. “No one can resist fanservice, huh?” he teased. “So, how’s producing music goin’ for you?”

“It’s going great!” Rukia said. “I’ve been working with a lot of artists in Nii-sama’s company. Senbonzakura Music doesn’t just focus on Enka anymore these days. I’ve worked with the Beauty Queens, the Tres Bestias… there are a lot of people I’ve produced for.”

“That so?” Renji asked. “That’s a lotta big names you’ve been working with.”

Before Rukia could say anything more, Yoruichi cleared her throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Boys, I have some big news for you!” she said, a grin crossing her face.

“Kuchiki Byakuya, CEO of Senbonzakura Music, wants to make a deal with you,” she said. “You’re gonna love it.”

Byakuya’s face was impassive. “I would like for you to sign a contract with Senbonzakura Music,” he told them. “If you do so, you’d be the first Visual-Kei group under our label. The five of you clearly have talent and potential and if you signed with us, we could help you achieve that full potential.”

“Well?” Yoruichi asked, turning to Ichigo and the others.

Renji was stunned. To sign with Senbonzakura Music? That was pretty much every artist’s dream, only second to performing in Tokyo Dome!

Senbonzakura Music was such a prestigious label in the music industry. To sign a contract with them would guarantee the launch of a music career. Even though it’d started out as an Enka label, it had expanded its horizons after Kuchiki Byakuya had married a pop singer, much to his family’s dismay. However, there were no rock or metal bands signed under them, but if they accepted this contract, then they could very well be the first!

“I’m in!” Ichigo said, looking determined.

“It definitely sounds like a good move to enhance our careers,” Chad agreed.

Hitsugaya nodded. “If we ever want to do Tokyo Dome in a few years, this’ll be a good opportunity to make ourselves known,” he said.

“Sounds good to me!” Hisagi said, glancing at Renji. “What do you think, Renji?”

Renji blinked, suddenly feeling a little nervous. This was a pretty major turning point, and considering that until now, he’d only been under independent labels, this was going to really change his life. But hey, if this could help them make their music known to the world, then he was all in.

So he nodded. “I’m in,” he said.

Yoruichi smiled. “Now that’s what I like to hear!” she said.

“That’s good to hear,” Byakuya said. “Now, I’ve left the paperwork and forms with Yoruichi, so make sure you send them to me as soon as you can.”

Rangiku grinned at Renji and the others. “Welcome to the club, you guys,” she said. “You’re gonna love it.”

Rukia smiled at Renji. “I can’t wait to start working with you guys!” she almost squealed. “It’s gonna be great!”

* * *

An hour later, Renji headed outside of Zepp Karakura, more than ready to go home and get some sleep. Sure, it was tradition to go out for drinks after a successful live, which Renji had done in his previous bands, but right now, in the wake of everything that has happened, Renji was pretty exhausted. It was not everyday you gave your first successful live, get signed onto a major record label, and find out you’d basically eye-fucked the CEO of said major record label during the live.

Yes, Renji had been surprised to find out that the guy he made eye contact with during the show was the CEO of Senbonzakura Music, and Rukia’s brother-in-law, to boot. But if Kuchiki Byakuya had been annoyed by it, he didn’t show it at all.

It was a warm night and Renji was glad he’d left his coat at home. The breeze felt nice against his bare arms, and he gradually felt himself cooling down from the heat of the stage lights and the sweat he’d worked up. He carried Zabimaru over his shoulder as he headed to the bus stop near Zepp Karakura.

To his surprise, he saw Kuchiki Byakuya standing by the bus stop, texting someone. Byakuya didn’t notice him, but that was okay, Renji supposed. He approached Byakuya, asking, “May I?”

Byakuya glanced up at him and nodded. “Go ahead.”

Renji leaned against the bus stop post, sighing contentedly. He hadn’t had this good of a live show since his days as a rhythm guitarist in Blood Lust, a band that had only lasted four months before breaking up. Shortly after that, Renji had tried to do a solo career when he saw the news about how Black Moon was holding auditions for a new lead guitarist. Renji had shown up for it and the rest was history.

“So… did you enjoy the show?” Renji asked, glancing at Byakuya.

“I did,” Byakuya said. “And you must know, I’ve never really liked metal music that much. But I think that after tonight, you may have earned yourself a new supporter.”

Renji raised an eyebrow, not sure of what to make of that statement. “Er… thanks?” he said.

He swore he saw the tiniest of smiles tug briefly at Byakuya’s lips. “You’re very good at the guitar,” Byakuya told him.

At that, Renji felt himself blush a little. “Thanks…” he mumbled.

As if on cue, his bus pulled up at the stop. “Ah, my bus is here,” Renji said, glancing at Byakuya. “I’ll… see you around?”

Byakuya nodded. “Have a good night,” he said as Renji stepped onto the bus.

Shortly after the bus left, Byakuya’s driver pulled up to the stop. As Byakuya stepped into the car, the driver asked, “Where’s Rukia-san?”

“She’ll be coming home with some friends,” Byakuya told him.

With that, the car pulled away from Zepp Karakura and headed towards Byakuya’s apartment. As the car drove down the lit streets, Byakuya reflected a little upon his brief meeting with Abarai Renji.

For someone so energetic and confident on stage, Renji seemed rather shy offstage. The smallest of compliments made Renji blush easily, a stark contrast to his intimidating and dangerous appearance. It was quite intriguing, really. And the song he’d written, ‘Gomi Tame Mitai na Machi de Oretachi wa Deatta’, had profoundly meaningful lyrics.

Byakuya didn’t know how many other songs Renji had written, but from that one song, he could tell that Renji possessed a skill in writing poetic, emotional lyrics.

 _Almost like Hisana…_ Byakuya thought. Though, her songs were often about the beauty of the world. It’d been so long since he’d last listened to one of her songs, though. Ever since her death, listening to her music had become too much for Byakuya.

But he was truly grateful to have known Hisana. Because of her, he was able to recognize more talent outside of Enka, and open his eyes to the beauty of different styles of music around him. And now, Senbonzakura Music was expanding its horizons a little bit more with Black Moon being signed on.

Things were starting to become a little bit more interesting than usual. Byakuya couldn’t help but look forward to seeing what the future has for him.

* * *

A week had passed since Black Moon had signed on with Senbonzakura Music. The day they signed the contract, they swore to one another that they would never forget their roots as an indie band because at the end of the day, they were still regular people.

Currently, Renji sat in a meeting room with Ichigo, Hisagi, Chad, Hitsugaya, and Yoruichi, where they were going to be discussing the new album. It was going to be the third studio album they were releasing, after _Sky High_ , which had released two years ago. Today, they were discussing possible themes and concepts for the new album.

“This might be a little strange, but I was thinking of ‘the moon,’” Ichigo said.

“The moon?” Hitsugaya repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Ichigo nodded. “I was doing some thinking last night and I remembered something that my mom used to tell me when I was a kid,” he began. “She used to tell me to aim high and go for the moon and not to be afraid. So, I kinda came up with the idea that we all create songs about reaching the impossible, or something like that.”

“But you know, my mentor used to tell me that we’re all like the moon,” Hisagi pointed out. “Basically, we all have a dark side that we keep hidden from the world.”

“How about we mix those two ideas together?” Chad suggested.

“Aiming for the moon?” Renji mused. “Sounds like a good idea. I mean, I’m like a dog that’s always barking at the moon and trying to chase it.”

Yoruichi nodded as she listened. “Those are some good ideas,” she said. “Got any more?”

For the rest of the hour, they continued brainstorming ideas related to the moon to create a concept that they could work with. After a while of debating, brainstorming, and discussing, they had finally gotten a name for the album: ‘Dark of the Bleeding Moon’.

“Nice!” Yoruichi said, impressed. “I like it! Sounds mysterious and badass!”

“So basically, we write songs based on ‘reaching the moon’ or ‘dark side of the moon?’” Renji asked.

“Pretty much,” Ichigo said. “Then we’ll choose the songs and whatever songs don’t make it into the album, we’ll release a few of them as EPs.”

Chad nodded. “Sounds like a good idea,” he said.

“So, what’s the plan?” Hisagi asked.

“We all write about ten songs,” Ichigo explained. “I’ll collect them and then at the next meeting, we all choose which songs we want on the album through voting.”

“But remember,” Yoruichi interjected. “You guys have the ‘Gomi Tame’ music video shoot coming in about three weeks. So try and manage your time.”

“Ah, and Renji,” Ichigo said, turning to him. “Since ‘Gomi Tame’ is already going to be a track on the album, you can write nine songs, if you want.”

Renji snorted. “I can’t guarantee that,” he warned teasingly. “When the Muse kicks in, I can’t stop!”

Ichigo gave him a deadpan look. “Renji. Do me a favour, will ya? Don’t ever talk like that again.”

Renji laughed along with everyone else, his mind already in the process of planning songs. He was looking forward to recording this album.

**Author's Note:**

> Now that Renji is preparing to record an album, he may just find inspiration in the unlikeliest of places~
> 
> Finding out how bands create studio albums proved to be a lot harder to find, so I'm kind of putting my own spin on it. I do hope you enjoyed! I'll see you in the next instalment!


End file.
